After reminiscing about the Duke and Lucius for a few seconds, Julian looked back at his own plate, but his body immediately went rigid and a chill ran down his spine.
The food, though looking as appetising as they come, made his guts feel oily.
He forced his hands steady to cut into the glazed quail and then lifted his fork to take a bite. It was small and agonizing, but it still packed quite a punch to his taste buds.
Each chew felt like he was grinding stones with his teeth despite the tenderness of the quail, and swallowing required a conscious effort to keep his body from rejecting it entirely.
Aurelian hadn't touched his own food and simply held a wine glass in his hand as he watched, taking in all of this detail to use as 'leverage'.
